


A Winter Tale

by Lukami



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: F/M, merukomu madness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28814589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lukami/pseuds/Lukami
Summary: After barely surviving their close encounter with death, Meruem and Komugi are living in secluded peace. But winter is not always so quiet, and some old faces have not quite forgotten the Chimera Ant.
Relationships: Komugi/Meruem
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	A Winter Tale

Komugi laid her head against Meruem’s chest as it moved with his words. They had started the conversation after a few gungi matches, and Meruem was going over the multiple strategies that Komugi had found to best him. There was no frustration in his tone, it was contemplative and at times even excited as he minutiously autopsied every game. 

“...and you used the spy to attack my side from two angles. Brilliant.” His hand had found her hair and was now softly stroking the white locks. She blushed at the comment, smiling widely.

“Three angles.” She gently corrected him. 

His hand stopped as he took her comment in. After a quick moment his eyes widened slightly. “You were threatening my archer as well?” She chuckled heartily at his surprise. “You ingenious woman” he murmured.

Komugi took notice of the dimming light and cackling sound coming from the fireplace. “Is the fire going out already?” 

Meruem hummed affirmatively in response. “How do you see it?” 

Meruem had become increasingly more interested in her sight, and in how she perceived things. He felt it gave him a private understanding of her own unique world, a curiosity he would have deemed utterly useless in his previous life. But now he was free to satisfy any question he desired. He was free from evolution's expectations. Most importantly, he was free to love this gentle woman who now laid on him. 

Komugi pondered for a second. “It’s like specks of light, I can understand the brightness that comes from the center, and sometimes these tiny dots that bounce from it.” she fiddled with her hands. She was not yet accustomed to the attention the King devoted to her.

Meruem softly moved from under her. “I believe we are out of wood. I shall go fetch us some more for the night.”

He didn’t quite feel the cold as she did, but the plunged drop in temperature that the winter nights offered did not escape his senses, nor did the increase in Komugi’s sniffling. 

Komugi jumped up. “Wait a second, please!” she asked before rushing to the bedroom. It still impressed Meruem how she had mapped out the whole house, finding her small cane dispensable within their isolated wood cottage. He wondered if she would have ever been able to have that freedom in the palace. He felt bitter thinking back to their old residence. The familiar faces of his Guards rushed through his mind. They had done their best until the very end. He had felt every ounce of devotion they had for him, and yet he had time and time again neglected to even acknowledge their efforts. And now they were dead. 

He jumped back, startled, as a hand hesitantly touched his arm. Komugi was looking up at him with worried aquamarine eyes, blissfully unaware of the sting instinctively aimed at her. In her hands was a big red sweater. He frowned, letting his tail rest against the floor once again, these lapses of focus were wholly unlike him, and they were happening frequently since their close encounter with the netherworld. 

“Were you thinking about them?” Komugi softly asked.

“How did you know?” His tone was more defensive than he had expected, but she didn’t seem to mind, closing the distance between them and embracing his waist. He let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding, his shoulders dropping. He hugged the petite woman back, resting his chin against her head. “I don’t...understand what’s wrong with me.” He confessed, biting back his pride. 

She squeezed him harder. “I know..” She pulled back to face him. “It’s a very….human thing.” she began, now aware of his true nature. “When we lose someone..to miss them at random times, to regret things, to be mad at them or at ourselves. To dwell on memories as if we could change their outcomes if we think about them hard enough.” she finished her thoughts in a single breath. 

He mulled over her words, then layed a kiss on her forehead. “Humans are so bizarre.” His tone was played as serious, but Komugi caught the humour in it. 

“H..Hey! You can’t say I’m bizarre you..you..turtle...ant...bug.” Her face was bright red as she attempted to tease him. He chuckled at her display, she was becoming more confident in countering his provocations and noticing the comments he meant in jest, but her arsenal of comebacks was much too gentle. 

“Well then.. I’m going now.” He took the sweater still clutched in her hands. “I presume this is for me?” 

Komugi nodded fiercely, still flushed. “It’s snowing out.”

“How did..”

“I put my hands out the window.” She quickly interjected, pressing the sweater against his chest. He thought about how he would have promptly decapitated anyone who dared interrupt him. He winced at the image, there was much he would have to discuss with her about his previous behaviours. 

He donned the red sweater and looked at the white haired beauty, she was rocking on her heels with a smile on her face. Meruem bent down and softly placed his lips on hers, she cupped his face with her palm, a breathy moan escaping from her mouth. _Well, now she made it hard to leave._

“I’ll be home soon.” he promised. She nodded with a loopy smile, dazed by the kiss. 

“Okaay..” Komugi happily agreed. She waited until the door was shut before collapsing on the couch, her heart racing. There was much to do in the house, she pondered. She thought about cooking, and although she was not virtuous in that area, Meruem’s previous...diet..meant he did not mind the atrocities she made in the kitchen, as it all tasted bland to him. She bit her lip at the thought of his confession, although she did not mind it as much as she thought she would (or even should), Komugi sometimes worried if his promise to abstain from human flesh would have him reconsider her worth. She physically shook her head. Meruem had told her to not entertain such thoughts before. 

Cookies! Yes, she would make some sweets. They had found that the King, in spite of his revulsion for human cuisine, did have a soft spot for sugary delicacies. She happily stood up to begin her new mission. 

❄❅❆❄❆❅❄❄❅❆❄❆❅❄❄❅❆❄❆❅❄❄❅❆❄

The two friends walked together in silence as they approached the cabin. The excitement in their mission was palpable, especially since they were together after threading their own paths for so long.

"Are you sure it's here? I don't feel any aura" the white haired boy spoke in a hushed tone. His footsteps so light they barely left dents in the snow. 

"Palm said she sees him here. She can't be wrong." his companion beamed in enthusiasm. 

"Shhhh. Don't be so loud." Killua chastised his friend with a frown. 

"Sorry!" Gon apologized with a smile, scratching the back of his head.

Killua looked at the cabin with suspicion. It was too quiet. Too peaceful. How was the monster that they thought had died living there? He felt anxious. There was no guarantee that the Ant King wouldn't kill them on sight. He looked at his friend. Gon had that eternally determined smile, he was confident in the information the Hunter Association had given them. Top classified information that only those who participated in the Invasion could have access to, as per the Chairman’s orders. Killua was more hesitant to believe in their version than Gon. The Chimera Ant that survived Netero himself would be living and idyllic life without trying to take over the world because... Because he met a girl? No...It was more likely because he almost died. _Maybe he's just getting stronger for another attempt._

Before he could voice his concerns his companion was walking towards the door.

"GON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING." He sprinted towards his friend. Had he forgotten his condition? While Killua was overjoyed to be with his friend, he still worried about his weakened state. _Not like either could put up much of a fight against the Ant King, anyways._

"We're here to talk to him no? It's no use if we're sneaking around." Gon grinned widely.

Killua paused. 

"Ye, I guess you're right." he conceded, walking up to the doorstep with Gon. There was only one person in the house, was the chimera ant using Zetsu? Gon knocked loudly. Killua cringed at the lack of subtlety and promptly smacked him. Gon let out a soft “aw”.  
They heard some hurried steps before the door opened suddenly. A petite girl with fluffy white hair and closed eyes was giving them a toothy smile.

"You came back so early!" she chippered, sniffling in loudly. 

Both boys stood shocked in place. 

"Ehhh..." Gon offered. 

She jumped back startled. "I'm sorry! I.. I.. We d..don't get ma.. Many visitors.." she stumbled backwards, clearly taken back. 

"Yo. We're here for the murdering psycho ant.." Killua was cut short by the sting pressed against his neck. 

"Killua!" Gon screamed before being thrown into the trees by the powerful tail. 

"Gon!" Killua used the small fraction in which the sting had been removed from his throat to attempt to reach his top velocity, but before he could even finish shouting his friend’s name he found himself laying in the snow with an impossibly heavy weight pressed against him. He looked up and gasped in surprise and terror. He remembered the Chimera Ant walking with Netero and his grandpa Zeno, but it was nothing compared to the primal fear that now held him locked in place. The bestial purple voids that stared into him conveyed bloodlust more frightening than anything he had faced before. Killua instantly regretted his agreement to negotiate with the beast. He made a futile attempt to lift from the King’s foot which firmly held him against the ground. He had to buy time for Gon to escape. He couldn't have his friend die with him. 

“How did you find us.” the Ant King’s growl froze his body once more. It was so very human, yet it held enough power to make Killua almost answer. 

“If you let us go I’ll tell you.” he managed to wheeze out. Fighting against every fiber of his body that wished to obey the humanoid creature.

“Meruem!” the girl’s cries stopped the King instantaneously. 

Killua finally felt the sting that had penetrated the surface of his neck. He had not even seen the tail coming at him. He took a shaky breath, trying to control the rising panic at the realization that he was a millisecond away from death. He looked up to where the woman was standing. Fat tears were streaming down her face as her nose leaked out. She was sobbing deeply, with loud hiccups that made her tiny frame shake. Killua looked back to his opponent. He was utterly irecognizable. The feral bloodlust and pride that marked his stoic face shifted to shocked horror, his features becoming somehow younger as his eyes remained entirely focused on the crying girl. Killua couldn't quite grasp the sudden shift in the Chimera Ant. Was it fear? What could he possibly be afraid of?

“D..did..you...kill..” before she could finish her stuttered question the King had vanished from his position, wrapping the girl with his tail and gently wiping her tears with his fingers. 

Killua felt he would barf. 

He stood up and analyzed the situation. He could activate his Speed of Lighting and try to get Gon, but he doubted he would be able to outrun the Chimera Ant carrying his friend. He clenched his jaws. 

“Stay.” the command froze him in place. The Ant King was staring at him again. “You came to speak with me, so speak.” his voice was low and controlled, but it didn’t make Killua feel any safer. 

“Let’s go inside!” the girl smiled through loud sniffles. The Ant King and Killua stared at her, dumbfounded. “It’s really cold out here. It’s rude to keep guests out” she whined. 

The Chimera Ant opened his mouth as if to argue before sighing and giving a small nod. “Fine.”

Before Killua could so much as blink the King had returned with Gon over his shoulder. Gon groaned and the King promptly dropped him to the floor. 

“Ow.” he protested, still dazed by the attack. 

Killua quickly moved beside him. “Are you okay?” The concern was evident in his voice, and he took notice of the girl frowning at the ant.

“I’m fine.” Gon stood up, rapidly recuperating his focus and taking a fighting stance. 

The Ant King watched them with a bored expression. He then looped his tail around the woman’s waist before walking with her inside the cottage. Gon looked at Killua with a confused expression. 

“Aahh...Fine. Let 's go. No point turning back now.” Killua sighed before walking into the strange home, his friend close behind him. 

❄❅❆❄❆❅❄❄❅❆❄❆❅❄❄❅❆❄❆❅❄❄❅❆❄

Komugi nibbled her lip. The tension was palpable in the room. She had offered to take the boy’s winter jackets to hang them, and even she could feel the murderous gaze Meruem had when observing the exchange. She got so worried when he attacked the kids, thinking that he had killed them. But they were just two children, what harm could they do? 

“I..I’ll..go get the cookies!” she stood up, feeling too awkward to stay in the living room any longer. 

Meruem watched as Komugi hurried towards the kitchen. Then brought his gaze back on the two Hunters in front of him. The one with the green sweater was not hiding his curiosity, moving his head around to take in the inside of their home. Even Meruem could recognize that the small wooden cottage was a far cry from the Palace he once lived in, and much less fitted for a King. The boys had to sit on the rug facing the couch, at a much closer distance that Meruem would have liked due to the small interior. The one he had pinned to the floor was staring at him with a menacing glare. Meruem couldn't help but think that he had never seen another human with white hair apart from Komugi. Perhaps it was a recessive gene. He found himself wishing that their children would take after her. 

“I do not enjoy repeating myself. How did you find us?” It was not the time to entertain such thoughts. 

“Why are you wearing a sweater and no pants?” the cat-eyed boy shot back in an irreverent tone. 

Meruem aimed his sting close to the boy’s neck. 

“You...You can’t kill me.” the boy, Killua, remarked. “Not with her here.” he smirked in spite of the sweat forming in his forehead.

The King slowly brought his tail back to rest next to him. The boy had him in check. 

“Hey!” the other one, Gon, stood up. “We’re just here to talk!” he held out his hands, shaking them in an exaggerated display of innocence. For some reason Meruem trusted the catty boy better. 

“Then talk.” He couldn’t keep the irritation from his voice. “But first answer my question.” His tail was swooshing around the air, exasperated. 

“Palm!” Gon quickly interjected before his companion could make another sarcastic comment. “She can still see you.” He placed his hand over one of his eyes, imitating the Hunter-turned-Chimera. “The Hunter Association has kept track of you, but by the Chairman’s wishes only the ones who were at the..” before he could finish Killua pulled him back to the floor, cutting off his speech. 

“Only a small, select group of people even know of your existence. The Hunter Association has promised to not intervene unless you go trying to take over the world again. Or genocide. Or both.” Killua couldn't believe Gon had almost spilled that they..

“You were at the Palace Invasion.” The Ant King stated. His eyes turned dark again, the purple deppening into burning coal. The faces of his three Guards flashed before his eyes. The moment when he realized he was going to die. The moment he realized Komugi would join him in death. The fear and grief. It was all because of them. 

Meruem felt a soft hand on his arm. He closed his eyes, taking in her scent. His heart slowed down and he felt the tension leaving his shoulders. He could almost hear what she was trying to tell him. _It’s okay. We’re still here._

“Very well. I have no such intentions.” He faced the kids again, who were now standing up in fighting stances. It did not bother the King. He could imagine the bloodlust that had been directed at them. “But I imagine you did not come to just inform me of this agreement. It would have been more beneficial to keep your advantages secret.” While he spoke Komugi placed a tray of cookies on the coffee table between the visitors and the couch and swiftly cocooned herself next to the Ant King, placing his tail on her lap as a warmer. He enjoyed having her there, it kept his mind clear. 

The kids hesitantly lowered back to the floor. Komugi gestured for them to eat the cookies and soon they had their mouths stuffed. She smiled, proud of herself for making something enjoyable. Hearing that they had been at the Invasion only confirmed that she had already met these boys. They had been responsible for kidnapping her. She thought best to keep quiet, she did not wish for any form of retribution, and there were still many things she did not understand about the events surrounding that night. 

Killua finished swallowing a cookie before his demeanor shifted. He looked down and his voice dropped a few tones. “There is a creature coming from the Dark Continent. They...they want me to have my sister, Nanika, fight it. But...I would be putting her in danger. I...I don’t want to force her to do something like that.” His eyes locked on the table, lacking the humor they held just moments before. “You are the only one that has a chance against this thing!” he spat, looking down in shame. 

A long silence filled the room. Meruem felt stumped. He had never once been asked for aid. This young boy, whose hair resembled Komugi’s, was asking him for something the world had denied him. He had tried to help them, all of them, but they wouldn't have it. They preferred their savage ways, their inequalities and violence over his benevolent dictatorship. Now they sought him for help? Komugi inhaled loudly. She was crying once again. 

“What’s wrong?” Meruem dismissed all his growing rage to examine her. She seemed perfectly fine.

“That’s so sweet…” She continued to sniffle, and Gon quickly offered her a napkin from the table. She loudly blew into it. 

Killua’s face was unreadable as he asked, “So?”

Meruem felt conflicted. The idea of fighting such a superior being was certainly attractive, and it would be a great learning experience for when he eventually sought to explore the Continent that his own species had come from. But, to help the enemy? The ones involved in the death of his faithful Guards and almost Komugi’s? Help the humanity that had turned him away and sought to destroy him before he was even born? And then there was Komugi. What would she think if he ignored their pleas? A small doubt also lingered at the back of his mind, one so shameful to think about that he suppressed it as soon as it emerged: what if he was not strong enough? The image of the Rose flashed before his eyes. What he had to do to keep himself and Komugi out of death’s hands… He was not the same as before.

Komugi further burrowed herself on the couch, her browns pressed together in deep thought. 

“Maybe if they win a match against you?” Meruem offered, looking at the girl with a sinister smile.

Komugi’s face quickly became a shade of hot pink. “Eh?? Meru...But..but...That’s so mean!” 

“We can beat any game!” Gon cried out. 

_The absolute naivete._ Meruem thought, amused at their ignorance. 

In spite of Komugi’s protests the boys insisted on trying, even when she revealed that the bargain was meant as an inside joke. Gon lost the minute Komugi attempted to explain the intricate rules of Gungi, crying about how hard it was to understand them. Killua dropped next to his friend after 50 matches that were won at lighting speed by Komugi. Meruem watched as she played, fascinated by how her aura shifted as she opened her eyes. The shy, childish woman was replaced by a merciless general, one that completely dominated the battle ground. She was truly the most challenging adversary he had ever seen. 

The boys groaned in defeat. 

“I think that’s enough for them!” Komugi chuckled nervously. “I think Meruem will definitely think about it! So don’t worry!” Meruem raised a brow at her attempt to comfort the human pups.

“Are you speaking on my behalf?” he probed. 

Komugi snapped her neck to his direction. “Was..Was I..Did I offend you?”

He patted her head. “No.”

“Well,” Killua stood up. “you can request almost anything in return. The Association is desperate to resolve this, and... it is in my family’s interests to keep Nanika alive. We can only wait three days for your answer.” Meruem noticed something in the boy’s eyes, he was trying to thank him. Humans were so bizarre. 

Gon stood up, following his friend. “Thank you for the food, Miss!” 

“Let me fetch your coats!” Komugi beamed excitedly. She proceeded to trip on the coffee table. Meruem swiftly caught her with his tail and she giggled in embarrassment. 

Meruem watched in silence as Komugi dotted on the boys, a peculiar feeling pressing his chest. Gon seemed perfectly content taking in the recipient overflowing with the remaining cookies and the head pats. The white haired one, on the other hand, fought like a kitten against Komugi’s onslaught of affection as she decided that the thin black jacket was certainly not enough for the harsh winter, pressing him to put on a hand knitted hat in spite of his protests. While he bickered, Meruem locked eyes with Gon. The boy’s face shifted from a wide smile to a concerned frown, like he wished to say something incredibly difficult. Meruem moved his head just enough to convey his answer. 

_There were things better left in the past._

Komugi kept waving as the boys made their way back into the tree, the sky darkening into a cold purple, warning of the incoming night. He looked at her red nose as it leaked out. “Let’s go back in. It 's getting cold.” he placed his hand on the small crook of her waist. 

She smiled up at him, humming in agreement. 

He closed the door and guided her back to the couch. She then pulled him down towards her lap, and he obediently layed down facing her. 

“It’s so quiet now.” She pondered. 

Meruem examined her face. Her expression was foreign to him. “You enjoyed having those fledglings here?”

“Children, Meruem.” She laughed nervously. “and..yes..I..I think so.” her face flushed quickly. 

Meruem swiftly sat back up, gripping the brim of the sofa and straddling the girl. He brought his lips close to her ear, taunting her. “If it’s children you want...” he nibbled her earlobe, making her moan “I’ll be happy to oblige..” he whispered in a husky tone. 

“But..But..Meruem...you said…” she managed to say between hitched breaths.

He quickly moved to sit beside her. “Yes. There is still that issue.” he groaned in dissatisfaction. He needed to understand more about his kind. The conditions of his own birth still lingered on his mind, he could not risk the same fate of his mother befalling on Komugi. The young boy’s request came to mind.

“Komugi..” His voice darkened and she straightened herself at the shift “do you wish me to help them?” He realized that his previous doubts about the issue no longer mattered. He needed to know her answer. 

“Hmm…” she hummed as seriously as she could manage. “Yes...and no?”

He blinked in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“Well...I don’t want you to go because…” she seemed hesitant to continue “because I worry about you..” she mumbled. “Ah..Of course I don’t think you’re weak! I just…” he cut her off with a kiss. A part of him felt insulted that she would even consider the possibility of his failure, but having her admit her concern over his well being felt considerably more endearing. He also realized that her worries were not unsubstantiated. He was no longer the untouchable King. 

“I interrupted you. Continue.” he reluctantly moved away from her. 

“But..” She sniffled. “Not helping when you can...That’s quite selfish.” 

He almost laughed. Selfish? Did that even matter to the one who was supposed to rule over the entire world? Was the ultimate being tied to such primitive notions of morals? He kept himself from expressing such thoughts. Komugi’s face showed she meant it with all her heart, her nose and brows scrunched up. 

“Very well. I’ll consider it with great care.” Meruem did not voice his other reasoning. He needed to understand his own strength if he wished to venture into a world far more brutal than the one he knew. 

Komugi leaped on him, giving a tight hug. She was about to open her mouth when her stomach loudly grumbled. 

“You haven’t eaten?” Meruem couldn't believe it. How did she not take care of such a fragile body? _No. He should have made sure her needs were met._

“Ah.. it’s fine!” she put her hands up in a hopeless attempt to fool him. 

“I’ll make you something.” he stood up to head to the kitchen, ignoring her protests. 

They ended up cooking together after much insistence from Komugi. After having dinner on the kitchen table, Komugi brought the Gungi board and they played until her eyelids started to get heavy. Meruem picked her tiny body and placed in it the couch, covering her with a thick blanket. 

“I’ll wash the dishes and we can go to bed.” he kissed her hair, taking in her intoxicating scent.

She groaned affirmatively. 

Meruem took his time to perform the mundane task. It would be improper, he pondered, to not give Komugi some rest before the activities she insisted should be saved for the nighttime.  
He thought back to the day. He had surprised even himself by not immediately killing the two Hunters, but without Komugi’s interference he would have certainly ended their lives for disrupting his day. He clenched his teeth at the thought. She would have certainly deemed him a monster had he killed two children in front of her. His own confessions about his nature and previous actions concerned him, would Komugi one day decide that she could no longer live with a creature like himself? He knew he would not be able to force her to stay if that were the case, but he could not keep secrets from her forever. She was patiently taking in every piece of information he gave her, but every conversation still terrified him. 

He moved from the plates to the cutlery as his thoughts drifted to the boys that had visited them. They had been involved in the fateful night that had stripped him of almost everything. He should have killed them. He should have avenged his Royal Guards. The boy, Gon, he had certainly been involved, that’s what he wished to tell him. Why had Meruem not allowed him to speak? _Because then you would have killed them. And Komugi would have cried because of you._  
No, there was more to it. _Killing them would not bring his Guard back._ It would not change a single thing about that night. His power, which he thought divine and infinite, could do nothing to fix the past. 

Meruem gripped the knife instinctually. In the snow, for only a second, he thought he saw them. Youpi, Pitou, and even Pouf, smiling at him. A strong wind came carrying snow, and their images faded into the night.

“Meruem..?” Came the sleepy grumble from the sofa. 

He looked at the white poof of hair resting against the arm of the couch, bathed in the warm glow of the fireplace. He glanced back at the window. The moonlight illuminated in silver the empty snowy fields all the way to the trees. 

He placed the knife down and wiped his hands on a towel. 

“I’m right here, Komugi.” he smiled, and headed towards her.

❄❅❆.....

**Author's Note:**

> This is an entry to the winter themed writing contest of the amazing discord Merukomu Madness. If you also love Meruem and Komugi, I'd highly recommend checking out all of the stories submitted with the Merukomu Madness tag! x3


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